Shatter Me
by Submerged in Darkness
Summary: Kairi Hiyashi, a regular teen with a gift, applies to a high end publisher, but before they can accept her she must first write a novel about something strange that's happened in her life. The only problem is her life is completely ordinary.But one boy could change all that.Rated T for suggestive themes and Kairi's bad language.
1. Chapter 1:New Beginnings

Chapter One  
'Oh my god, I cannot believe I just did that. '  
Kairi Hiyashi, a regular teen from Destiny High, had just sealed her fate. Or at least, it sure seemed that way. She was currently 5 blocks from home, standing outside the post office next to a large crimson mailbox, having a mini panic attack. Her hands, which only moments ago held a tremendously important letter, were shaking really bad.

She had just sent a job application to Paupou Publishers INC, the most famous publisher in the city. For years Kairi's friends, family and teachers had told her she was an amazing writer, and that they had expected to see her name in print someday, which was, and still was, a lot of expectations to live up to. So she mustered up all the courage she had and wrote a business letter to Paupou, explaining why the job was important to her, what kinds of things she wrote, and a portfolio of essays and poems for preference. Kairi didn't want to bother with the smaller publishers.  
'If I'm really that good, I want to work in only the best place. ' She always was picky like that, even when she was little, at least according to her childhood friend Ventus.

"I remember when I bought you a doll for your sixth birthday." He would smile.  
"I was really excited to give it to you, because I thought you'd love it, but when you opened it, you cried because I had bought the wrong colour!"  
Somehow, that story always came up in the worst moments, like when Ven had to move to California. It was after they had finally graduated elementary school, and got to take on middle school. But unfortunately, Kairi had to take it on by herself, which had devastated her for months. Ven tried to comfort her, but he too was distraught about the move. When the time came for them to say goodbye, they stood at the airport, and Ven whispered in Kairi's ear.  
"Maybe in California I'll find you a better doll."  
Kairi couldn't help but laugh through her tears. Those were the last words they spoke face to face. They still would text and Skype, but it wasn't the same.

When Kairi told Ven she was thinking about applying for a major publisher, he encouraged her.  
'Go for it :)' he had said while they were texting one night.  
'But what if I don't make it?' She replied.  
'Who cares? At least you can say you had the courage to!'  
And so she stood, at the large crimson mailbox, where she had just sent off her letter. Kairi sighed and crossed her fingers.  
'Maybe.' She thought. 'Just maybe, I'll actually get somewhere in life.'  
Kairi glanced at her watch.  
"Five o'clock?! Ah crap!" Gathering the rest of her thoughts, she made a run towards Ginger Ave. And completely ran into someone in her hurry, knocking them and herself flat on the cement.  
'Damn, I hope I didn't scrape my face too bad...'  
As she lay there, rubbing her head, she remembered she wasn't alone.  
"I am so sorry, I guess I'd better watch where I'm going." The sunlight was directly in her eyes, so she couldn't make out their face, but the silhouette was definitely a boy's. He reached out and offered his hand to Kairi, who was still lying on the sidewalk in pain. As he began to speak, she immediately knew who he was.  
"That's alright, just make sure you look out for others when your running like that, okay Kairi?"

Embarrassment washed over her, and as the sunlight faded she realized she was staring directly into the baby blue eyes of Sora Takahashi.  
Flustered, she looked away, jumped up, and mumbled an apology and something about being late before running like hell to the other side of the street and out of there. Out of all the times she could've ran into HIM, it had to be today?! Kairi kept running, even when she could hear Sora calling after her, and she didn't stop running until she reached her house. She opened her front door and slammed it violently. Then she collapsed onto the floor in a heap of sweat and nerves.

Her mother came out of the kitchen, taking in her daughter's state of condition.  
"Kairi, you know it doesn't matter if you're 10 minutes late, you could've CALLED ME." She felt Kairi's sweaty forehead.  
"Are you alright dear? You look like you've seen a ghost. "Kairi had wished she'd seen a ghost instead. Her younger brother Zack decided to walk into the living room at that exact moment. He smirked at Kairi.  
"She didn't see no ghost mom. She saw her pretty boyfriend SORA." Kairi's face decided to then turn a lovely shade of red that matched her hair. Zack laughed and ran away as she yelled,  
"He is NOT my boyfriend! Mind your own business and learn better english,dumb ass!" Her mother scolded her for using inappropriate language language in a respectful household. Kairi rolled her eyes. Zack was only a year younger than her, and he said almost as many swears as she did. As if reading her mind, her mother said,  
"I know you two are very close in age, but you are older and need to be a better example. Besides, he's still an innocent child and we have to keep it that way for as long as we can. "  
Kairi snorted. Her brother, innocent? That's like saying Hitler didn't kill anybody. Her mother ran to the kitchen to get a towel for Kairi's sweaty, now bright red face.  
"By the way," her mother asked,  
"Who is this Sora?" Kairi's face turned a deeper shade of red.  
"Oh he's nobody important. He just used to hang out with me and Ven when we were little, so that's um, probably why Zack thinks I like him. "A complete lie, but her mother seemed to believe it. Her face softened.  
"I see. You two are just friends then?" Kairi nodded. They actually never saw face to face anymore, but that was just a minor detail.  
"Okay, I can live with that. I was really worried for a minute there. There's no need for you to go running off with boys just YET." She grinned. Kairi smiled back as her brother emerged from his hiding place behind the corner. He probably thought it was safe to come out now, while their mom was still around to protect him from Kairi's punches.  
"Y'know Ma, we're not as innocent as you think. We'll, I'm not as innocent as you think anyway."  
Kairi's mom raised an eyebrow.  
"Oh really? Just what horrors of the world have you discovered darling?" Zack took his hands out of his pockets and started counting with his fingers.  
"Well, I know about drugs, alcohol, sex, rape, oh and I saw this video..." He stopped to grin at his mothers horrified reaction.  
Zackary! Oh my poor little baby, what has the internet done to you?!"

Kairi thought this as a perfect opportunity to slip away unnoticed. When she reached her room, she flopped face first on her bed, exhausted. Of course she was late getting home. Of course she ran into Sora the day on one of the most important days in her life. Sora, the boy with cute spiky brown hair, the bluest eyes, and a smile that could light up the earth. Damn that perfect smile. Kairi had been crushing on him for what seemed like forever, but was actually just since 2nd grade. When she was 5, he used to chase her around the playground, telling her that when he caught her he would tie her to a raft and sail away with her. At the time, she just thought he was an annoying little kid. But he eventually grew on her, but by that time it was too late. He had already found a new circle of friends, fitting into the popular crowd perfectly. How could he not, he was athletic, cute and friendly after all. It now seemed nothing more than a children's dream. She heaved a big sigh.

'Its just like the movies,' she thought. 'Unpopular girl falls for the guy that's way out of her league. Except in the movies she actually GETS the guy. 'Kairi had written many love stories and poems, inspired by Sora, and she had included them in her portfolio of 'little masterpieces', which is what her mom called her writing. But she knew it would never be more than a fantasy. Sora would probably end up with Tifa, Selphie or any other of the popular girls. People had told Kairi that she was pretty, but she didn't believe them. Her hair was always trying to stick out at odd angles, so she usually wore a ponytail, or a headband if it was a good day. She wasn't exactly large or obese, but she wasn't a skinny model either. A 'healthy weight' is what she was. And she honestly didn't care. Chips and dip were her go-to, and she had no shame in that. Kairi liked her friends, Namine and Xion,and they were way nicer than those popular beotches, but she wasn't about to get asked to prom anytime soon. At least, not by Sora.  
'Maybe if things work out with Paupou, I can finally get over him.'  
'Maybe.'


	2. Chapter 2: Days of Our Lives

[A/N: Ha! I bet you guys thought I wasn't going to update, and this story would remain unfinished like my other one!(and I'm sorry to say, I don't think I'll be updating that one anytime soon. But if you want to write it and give me credit just let me know in a review.]

Chapter Two  
One week of spring break was hardly enough. It never was, and the Monday coming back to Destiny High was always torture. Kairi's first class that morning was gym, and her teacher, Mrs. Wellsbrooke, was no softie.  
"Alright ladies," she yelled, clapping her hands together. "Let's see who worked out over spring break. 20 minutes, running, and don't even think about stopping to rest. GO!" Kairi heaved a humongous sigh, then began to jog at a slow pace. She definitely DID NOT work out over spring break. The most exercise she had other than her 5 blocks of panicked sprinting was walking to the fridge and back. It was a sad fact: she hated exercise, and loved food. Even though running was supposedly good for you, it left a slightly-out-of-shape person almost dead.

Luckily, Xion was in the same class as her, so they could complain about life together and catch up on things they missed since spring break started.  
"Well I ran a 10k last week, but that was it."She laughed, keeping pace with Kairi. Her midnight black hair was tied in a spiky bun, to match her spiky personality. She was wild and fun, but she also was a trustworthy person whom Kairi could always count on.  
"I ran 5 blocks after I sent my letter. " Xion gasped, despite being almost out of breath.  
"You applied to Paopu?! Damn it, that's FANTASTIC! I would hug you but Coach Olympics here would probably give me detention for stopping."  
Kairi smiled. She knew she could count on Xion for moral support and encouragement.  
"Just wait till we tell Namine!"

After that gruelling gym class,Kairi had Trigonometry, which was the one class she, Namine, and Xion shared. As usual, Namine was there early, sketching in her art book. To everyone else, Namine was a shy, quiet girl who sat at the back of the classroom sketching. But once you got to know her, you couldn't keep her mouth shut. She always had good advice, funny jokes, and great sketching tips. Once she found out Kairi had sent THE LETTER, she flipped out as much as Xion had.  
"Oh my gosh, you really sent it?! YOU'RE GONNA BE FAMOUS!" She squealed. Kairi felt her face flush with embarrassment. Since their current teacher was strict about talking, they exchanged very few words after that until lunch.

By the time lunch rolled around, Kairi was jittery with excitement. The first lunches back from break were always the best. The cafeteria seemed more like a jungle of chattering animals than a school of students. Kairi, Namine and Xion always had epic recollections of their spring break activities to share. But today, they were mostly buzzing about the possibility of Kairi becoming an author.

"When you're famous, you can't forget about us, even if you're having lunch with super important people." Xion said in fake sterness. Kairi and Namine giggled in response.  
"Don't worry I don't think I'll ever forget you guys."  
There was talk about vacations and what each sibling had said and who ate what flavour of ice cream. But not long after there was commotion at the entrance of the cafeteria. The populars had entered, and took their rightful place at the centre of the cafeteria. HE was with them, dressed in a classic blue jacket and pants, looking adorable, as usual.

His squad consisted of 3 boys, and 3 girls. There was Vanitas, a player that had no respect for girls and seemed to only care for sex. At that exact moment, he was making out with his current girlfriend Larxene. She too, was a bitch in her nature, and Kairi personally hated her the most. Next to them was Tifa and Aerith, which weren't as bad as Larxene but weren't that nice either. Seifer stood nearby, smoking a cigarette in one hand, and playing on his phone with the other. Then there was Riku, a seemingly strong silent type that Kairi didn't really know much about. He was very mysterious, and never said much, so she didn't have anything bad to say about him. Then of course there Sora, who was laughing at something Riku had said, smiling his perfect smile. Kairi couldn't help but stare, he was too beautiful.

He briefly turned his head towards her table, and she started to sweat. Then he stood up out of his seat, and began WALKING TOWARDS HER. That's when she lost it.  
"Shit, guys! Sora's walking this way, and my hair looks horrible!" She cried, desperately trying to smooth her red tangly mess. Xion and Namine turned their heads, then immediately took action. Xion began fixing Kairi's hair, and Namine hid her head in her sketchbook while whispering encouraging words to her.  
'Please, dear God, don't let him stop here...' Then she felt a gentle tap on her shoulder. She turned around slowly, hoping it wasn't him, even though she knew it was.  
'I knew I should've gone to church that day.' Kairi thought bitterly as she now sat face to face with Sora.

He looked even better up close, and with a full view of his gorgeous face, Kairi's cheeks began to take on a pinkish glow. He kneeled down next to her and said,  
"Hey Kairi. How are you after that nasty spill the other day?" He grinned, flashing his pearly whites. This caused Kairi's face to get a little hotter.  
"Oh I'm ff-fine. I really am sorry for running into you, I'm such a klutz sometimes." She laughed nervously, wishing she was anywhere but right here.  
"Aw, that's ok. We all have our bad days right?" Sora leaned into his pocket, reaching for something inside.  
"After you left in such a hurry, I tried calling after you, but I guess you couldn't hear me. You dropped this as you ran across the street. A car almost ran over it." In his gloved hand now held a small gold chain, with a tear drop shaped pendant dangling from it. Kairi gasped.  
"I've been looking everywhere for that! I thought I'd lost it in my room." She added wistfully.

Sora was grinning now, and as he placed it gently in her hands, Kairi's face went from pink to fire truck red.  
"Tt-thank you so much, S-Sora." She stammered.  
"No prob. I'll see ya around." Then he waved and walked back, leaving Kairi in a trance. Once he was out of earshot, Xion all but yelled, "YOU ran into Sora Takahashi? Is that what you meant this morning, when you said you ran 5 blocks?" She grinned, already knowing the answer. Kairi tried to swat at her, but Xion easily ducked.  
"Why didn't you tell me Kai, you could've asked him for Riku's number for me!" Kairi rolled her eyes. Xion saw and replied,  
"I'm sorry, but he is cute. And he has a great ass." She noted, checking to see if she could look at it from this angle. Namine shook her head.

"You two have gotten yourselves caught up in the popular guys. You need to find a boy who's sweet, sensitive, and will fight for you just to win your heart." She sighed, glancing at the table where the fencing club boys sat. At the very edge of their table was Roxas, an outspoken person and Namine's secret love. He noticed her staring and waved, but Namnine buried her head deeper in her sketchbook. Xion grinned.

"Yes Namine, we all know about your MOCOR." Kairi raised an eyebrow.  
"What's that?" Xion's grin spread wider.  
"Massive Obsessive Crush On Roxas. MOCOR." Namine blushed profusely and began to sketch furiously in her notebook. Xion laughed, and although Namine's head was in her book, she smiled shyly.

The rest of lunch hour was not unusual, but Kairi couldn't stop thinking about that unusual encounter. She touched the necklace, now dangling around her neck. It was only Monday, and she'd already had enough of school for the rest of the year.


	3. Chapter 3: Telemiscommunications

Chapter Three

The minute Kairi walked in the door, her mother began yelling at her.  
"Kairi! Telephone!" Thinking it might've been Sora, she ran to the phones charging station and picked it up.  
"H-Hello...?"  
"Hey baby, what's shaking?"  
Kairi frowned.  
"I'm sorry, who is this? I think you have the wrong number..."  
"This isn't Kairi Hiyashi?"  
"Uh, yes but..."  
"The only butt I want to talk about is yours doll." The voice sounded sickly smooth and arrogant. Kairi recognized it as Vanitas. Anger flared in Kairi's body, and her fists clenched.  
"Listen Vanitas, I don't want any of your bullshit." An ugly laughter poured out of the other end of the line.

"Baby, you misunderstand me. I just think you're the sexiest girl this side of Destiny High. How bout coming over for a quickie?"  
Kairi gasped. The nerve of that guy!  
"You little shit! Why don't you go fuck your girlfriend instead?" More laughter. Kairi seethed.  
"You're missing out baby. Oh and a question for you," She could practically hear him sneering.  
"What's the deal with you and Sora? I saw him talking to you today, and I'm intrigued at why he would want anything to do with a pathetic girl like you."  
Kairi was fuming. First, he tells her she's the sexiest girl in school, and now she's pathetic?!  
"I'm surprised you even know what intrigued means. Did your girlfriend buy you a dictionary?"She could hear him growling from the other end of the line.  
"Listen up bitch. You know he's never going to go for you. You're not his...type." Then he cackled and hung up the phone.

Kairi was furious. She slammed the phone down and let out a scream of frustration.  
"AAAAAAAAUUUURRRRRGGHHH!"  
Immediately her mother rushed in.  
"OH MY GOD WHO DIED WHAT'S WRONG?!" Zack walked in with a celery stalk in his hand. He had been cut off junk food since their mom found out about the internet porn.  
"Aw, Kairi's just having a tantrum. Like we used to when we were KIDS." He ran away laughing. Her mother heaved a sigh.

"So it wasn't your great aunt Lily?" Kairi shook her head, still outraged. " I guess I'm just on edge because I'm expecting the funeral home to call about her at any moment." Her mother continued, smiling sadly. "You know she's getting to that age." She paused, noticing Kairi fuming.  
"Who was that? What's the matter?" Kairi couldn't hold it in.  
"IMREALLYPISSEDOFCUZVANITASWASADOUCHEBAGANDASKEDMEIFIWANTEDTOHAVESEXWITHHIMEVENTHOUGHHEHASAGIRLFRIENDBUTTHENHESAIDIWASAPATHETICBITCHANDIWASNTSORASTYPE!" She sighed. It felt good to get it all out. Her mom was shocked.  
"So that boy, on the phone, he called because he wanted to..."  
"Yeah."  
"SWEET LORD JESUS I'M GOING TO KILL THAT BASTARD!" Kairi stood aback, surprised at how angry her mother had gotten.  
"I-It's ok, Mom. You don't have to break the law or anything, he's nothing but a pest." Her mother's eyes were blazing.  
"NO ITS NOT OKAY, IS IT HAROLD?!" She yelled to her unsuspecting husband walking in the door.

Harold was Kairi's stepfather, her real dad had passed 6 years ago, so her mom had remarried. She liked Harold, and he let her call him Harry.  
"What's not okay, Cass?" Her mom quickly explained the situation.  
"Aw c'mon Cassie. Kairi can take care of herself, can't you Kai?"Kairi smiled. He and Ventus were the only ones who could call her that.  
"Of course I can Harry." They grinned at each other, knowing that she was the only one that was allowed to call him by that name.  
"Well I guess if a boy answers the phone I will tell them to piss off, alright?" Her mother beamed. Kairi began to panic. What if Sora called?  
"Uh n-no, you can't do that! W-What if it's someone else that I know that's not rude?" She panted.  
"Well what other boys do you know?" Kairi bit her lip. What could she say so she didn't have to give away his name?  
"Well, ah, there's um..." Kairi's eyes lit up.  
"VENTUS! I mean uh, yeah Ventus." Her parents exchanged worried glances.  
"You didn't forget about HIM, now did you Ma?" Her mom frowned.

"But I thought he didn't have a phone yet, or he wasn't allowed to call you." Kairi heaved a sigh of relief. She could tell her mother the truth, and still keep her secret.  
"I forgot to tell you, he got a long distance plan, so he can call here now." Her mother smiled.  
"That's great honey! I'm glad you still keep in touch with him, it's a shame he had to move away..." Kairi nodded.  
"I was actually about to go call him. May I?" She nodded, and Kairi escaped to her room, phone in hand. It was a good excuse to call him, and she'd been wanting to for a while.

Ventus immediately answered, and Kairi couldn't stop from smiling.  
"Hey Ven, it's me."  
"Well it sure took you long enough. You do realize it's been a week since I've had long distance, and this is the FIRST TIME you called?" He teased. Kairi's grin spread wider.  
"I'm sorry Ven, I was busy with more IMPORTANT THINGS." She teased back. Ventus began to fake sniffle.  
"What could be more important than meee?"  
"A letter to Paopu Publishers, now officially sent and on its way." Kairi said matter-of-factly. Ventus gasped, and this time it wasn't fake.  
"You actually sent it? Good for you! I was worried you were never going to send it."They then exchanged small talk(how was their first day back from spring break,how proud Ven was of Kairi, his upcoming skateboard competitions,etc). Then, for some reason, the conversation turned towards the subject of Sora.

"How is our little troublemaker doing anyway?" Ventus said jokingly.  
"He's good. And cute as ever." Kairi hadn't realized she said that last bit out loud, and Ventus got angry.  
"You like that sorry little douchebag?" Kairi gasped. "Ven, he is NOT a douchebag!" She all but yelled. Ever since they were small, whenever Sora had chased Kairi, Ventus was always there to protect her. Which, come to think of it, may have been the reason why Sora moved on.  
"Kai, he's a POPULAR, of course he is."  
"No, you don't understand. He's different."  
"I'm sure he is." Ven snorted.  
"Well he is CERTAINLY not Vanitas, that's for damn sure." Kairi then briefly explained what went down an hour ago.

"You see Kai, this is why I worry about you. I was always there to protect you, and even though I know you can handle it yourself, I still worry."  
Kairi sighed. "I wish you were here. I really miss you Ven." She said softly. He got quieter on the other end.  
"I miss you too Kai. I wish I was there right now so I could hug you so tight you're arms would fall off!" Kairi laughed. She loved the way he was always joking, even when he was trying to be serious.

Angry crackling began on the other end of the line. She heard Ventus sigh.  
"Crap, the connection here sucks. I'm gonna have to go now." Kairi smiled sadly.  
"Damn those Californian phone companies. That's ok, I'll talk to you later." They exchanged their goodbyes, then hung up. Even though she was a bit upset about Ven judging Sora, she couldn't stay mad at him forever. Again, Kairi wondered why Ven had to move away in the first place, and if things would've been different if he had stayed.


	4. Chapter 4: A Simple Question

Chapter Four

Another school day had gone by, with no encounters of Sora or his 'crew'. Apparently they had skipped to go watch a movie in town, so the day was mostly peaceful. Lunchtime was interesting,at least. That morning there had been an announcement, saying the school dance would be held in three weeks, and that everyone was to bring a date.  
"Well, that puts me out of comission." Xion sighed, scribbling band names in her binder.  
"How come?" Kairi asked.  
"Because I'm pretty sure nobody wants to go with me, unless I pay them or something." Namine glanced up from her notebook.  
"You could always ask someone yourself." Xion's face lit up.  
"Oh my goodness, that's a great idea! Namine, you are a freaking genius." Namine smiled and shook her head.

"At least you have the courage to do that, but I'm actually not going to be able to go. No one's going to ask me." Kairi and Xion exchanged glances.  
"Oh yeah, Namine, because Roxas totally doesn't want to be your date." Kairi teased,and Namine blushed.  
"He doesn't. Probably wants some tough girl from his fighting club or something."  
"Then you gotta beat the crap out of her before he gets a chance!"Xion declared, which sent them all into a fit of laughter.

When lunchtime rolled around, however, none of them were expecting Roxas to be waiting at their table, his blue eyes gleaming as they met Namine's. She looked away and blushed. Roxas stood up."Sorry for intruding your table like this, but I needed to speak to Namine." Kairi could tell she was trying not to be shy.  
"W-Well, here I am. What c-can I do for you R-Roxas?" She smiled nervously.  
"You probably know this already, but the school dance is in a few weeks, and I wanted to ask you to be my date. Y'know before I lose my courage or anybody else beats me to it."He smiled as Namine's eyes began to sparkle with hope.

"Y-You want to go to the dance with me?" She squeaked.  
"But you have so many better options..." She hung her head. Roxas bent down so they could still see eye to eye.  
"I don't want to go with anyone other than you." He said quietly, lacing his hands with hers. Kairi could see that Namine was shocked and delighted.  
"That is, unless you don't want to..."  
"No, no, of course not! I mean yes! That is, I would very much like to." Roxas grinned.  
"Perfect. I'll text you later with details." He said, grabbing a piece of paper from his pocket with numbers written on it. Then he casually walked away. Namine grinned.  
"You guys, can you believe it?! He wants to go to the dance with me, and he HELD HANDS WITH ME."She sighed happily and began to spin around in circles.  
Xion made her sit down.

"Handholding is just the beginning. You see doofus, I TOLD YOU he had a thing for you."  
"You'd better not call her that, or Roxas'll come beat you up." Kairi grinned, happy for her friend. Namine's smile began to fade.  
"But what about a dress, and shoes, and what if he takes me out to dinner and I spill food on myself?! Or what if his parents don't like me, or my outfit doesn't match his tie.." Kairi shook Namine.  
"Dude, you need to have a date, that's a start. Ask him what colors he's going to wear, buy a dress that won't show if you stain it, and I'm sure his parents will love you." She ensured her.

"Ok, but, one more thing..." Namine took a breath, and they listened.  
"Do either of you guys have a strapless bra I could borrow?" Kairi and Xion looked at each other and burst out laughing.  
"It's not funny, you guys! I'm totally unprepared for this!" They immediately stopped and looked down at their chests.  
"Sorry, you'd be swimming in mine." Xion said, glancing at her C cups then at Namine's B's. Kairi giggled.  
"I'm sorry, I can't help it if I have overly large breasts!" Xion said, exasperated. This made Kairi laugh even harder, and Namine couldn't hold back either.  
"You could probably fit mine, I'm a B 36." Kairi offered. Namine nodded, wiping tears from her eyes, a result of her laughter.  
"Now that you're problems are solved, Xion and I still need to find a date."

Namine frowned.  
"That's simple enough: Xion makes somebody go with her, and Sora will go with you." Kairi's face heated up.  
"Come on Namine, get real. We all know Roxas loves you, but Sora definitely DOES NOT want anything to do with me."Kairi sighed.  
"If that's true, then why did he go out of his way to give you back your necklace?" Xion pointed out.  
"He was just being nice. You know it's in his nature to be like that." Xion shook her head.

"You got it all wrong. If he was 'just being nice', he would've sent it to you in the mail, or taped it to your locker or something. But the fact that he delivered it to you in person means that he was just looking for an excuse to talk to you."  
"Easy for you to say, you could ask out anybody you want, people respect you." Kairi said.  
"Actually I think it's more fear than respect." Namine smiled. Xion tried to throw a napkin at her, but completely missed. This made Namine giggle, and Kairi couldn't help but join in.

"Y'know Namine, sometimes things are better left unsaid, even if they're true." Xion chuckled.  
"The truth hurts sometimes." Namine singsonged.  
"You're right though. I think I'm going to ask Riku first. I mean, there's no harm in trying, right?" Xion asked, and Kairi and Namine nodded.  
A sly grin spread over Xion's face.  
"If I have to ask Riku, then you have to ask Sora." Kairi blushed and shook her head.

"N-No, I couldn't..."  
"Yes, you could. C'mon I don't want to be the only one busting my ass here!"  
"Yeah, but you're only busting your ass FOR some ass." Kairi muttered.  
"Y'know, if you weren't my friend, I swear I would've beaten you up by now." Xion said in mock seriousness.  
"I agree with Xion." Namine added.  
"If you ask him, it'll give him the impression that you're not the kind of girl who's going to wait around for him to ask, and, it'll boost your confidence when he says yes."  
"If he says yes."  
"WHEN HE SAYS YES."Xion and Namine chanted. Kairi sighed.  
"Ok, I give up, you win. I'll ask him tomorrow at the soccer game."


	5. Chapter 5: Surprises and Surmises

Chapter Five

Wednesday after school came faster than Kairi had wanted. A vast majority of the school had gathered outside on the bleachers. At the very bottom were the populars, who got the privilege of a front row seat. Kairi and Xion sat a few rows back, Namine had to go home and work on homework. Sora was on the field, in his soccer uniform and cleats.  
'Is it possible for someone to look good when they sweat?' Kairi thought. She planned on asking him after the game, and she had dressed in pink, which always made her confident. But today, it wasn't working.

Since Riku wasn't a soccer player, he was sitting in the front row, and Xion was about to ask him to the dance.  
"Watch this." She grinned and stepped down to where he was sitting with Seifer. She leaned forward and whispered something in his ear. Then he looked at he through his shaggy silver hair and nodded.  
Xion came back smiling.  
"What did you tell him?" Kairi asked in wonderment.  
"I just told him he was taking me to the dance, as well as my list of expectations. I told him I expect him to wear black so he can match my dress, and that I'll be needing a dark purple corsage as well as a limo, a car if not anything else, and if he sees me looking at his behind, he shouldn't take too much notice. And he agreed." Xion grinned triumphantly.

"Now it's your turn." she said, as the coach's whistle blew to signal the game had ended. Sora's team had obviously won, and they were being very sportsmanlike by shaking the other team's hands. Kairi sighed.  
"I'll wait till he gets changed outta his sweaty uniform."  
"Ok fine. In the meantime, you can go get me a snack." Xion said, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a 5. Kairi took the bill and headed towards the vending machines. She was unaware of somebody else following her.

After Kairi had gathered Xion's snacks, she started back to the bleachers. But before she could take another step, a familiar blonde stepped in front of her.  
"What do you want Larxene?" She groaned.  
Larxene was dressed in a cropped yellow top and a skirt so short you could just about see her underwear.  
'A slutty look to match her slutty personality. I bet Vanitas loves that.' She thought. It sure went along good with her bitchiness too.  
"Why hello Kairi. Such a pleasure to meet you here." You could hear the sarcasm dripping out of her voice.  
"That was a great game wasn't it? My little Vani worked sooo hard out there." She planted her hands on her hips.  
"Speaking of him, I heard you two had an INTERESTING conversation the other day. He told me you were hitting on him?" Kairi laughed. Of course Vanitas turned it around so it seemed like he was getting the attention. "Don't worry Larxene. I didn't hit on your boyfriend, and I'm not about to anytime soon."

Larxene suddenly grabbed Kairi's throat. Xion's snacks dropped violently to the ground.  
"You lying whore. Vani always tells the truth, so I'm pretty sure we both know who's right here." Kairi tried to wiggle free, but Larxene was stronger than she seemed.  
"Seriously Larxene, I'm not lying. He called me and asked if I wanted to come over and do things. But I said no and that's why he has a girlfriend." She gasped, Larxene's grip still tight. The world began to get blurry.  
'Doesn't anybody notice a girl getting choked out on a soccer field?'  
"You wish it was him who said that. But it was you, and I'm gonna make you suffer for that." Kairi struggled with all her might, which wasn't that much since her oxygen was being cut off, but then she heard a familiar voice yell,  
"Cut it out Larxene!" Larxene released her grip, and Kairi dropped to the ground, gasping for air.  
"Aww, you take the fun out of everything Sora." Larxene pouted. Wait, it was Sora? She quickly sat upright, but was still to weak and fell back down.

From the grass, she could see him in a red sweater and pants, now changed out of his uniform.  
"I'm going to ask you to leave Larxene, before I call Princible Whitehead and have you suspended." He said calmly. Larxene scoffed and slinked away. Sora held out his hand, and this time Kairi took it as he helped her stand up.  
"Thanks Sora. I thought I was going to die there." She coughed, still regaining her breath. A look of concern spread over Sora's face.  
"Yeah, so did I. Sorry, I would've been here faster, but you'd think someone here would've noticed Larxene choke you out."  
"That's what I thought! But thank you, I'm glad you came along when you did." She smiled. Maybe the lack of oxygen to her brain was making her less nervous being this close to Sora.

"Aw, it was nothing." Sora ran his fingers through his sweaty hair and grinned.  
'Oh my god I want to stroke that hair so bad.' Kairi thought. She had always imagined what it felt like, but she guessed it must've been close to what silk felt like. Or maybe a fluffy kitten, or a cloud. However she refrained, because it would seem weird if she just started petting his hair on a soccer field.  
"Well, if you're okay, I should probably get going. Riku and I are going to his house to play video games." Kairi sucked in a breath. This was it. She had to ask him now.

"Um, ok, but first I have a question." Sora nodded.  
"Do you ah, want to go to the dance together? It would be a friends thing, since you can't get in without a date and all." She added quickly.  
"Okay, sounds fun. I was just going to go hang out with Riku but I guess I need a GIRL to get in." He grinned, flashing that freaking adorable smile she loved.  
"That's funny, I hear Riku is going with Xion, so I guess we could all just hang out together. " Sora did a double take.  
"Wow, what did Xion have to say to twist his arm?" Sora asked, bewildered.  
"Well, I think it was her telling him she was going to be his date, and I think she might've mentioned something about his good looking ass." Sora laughed.

"I can tell this is going to be interesting for them. And for you, seeing as though I can't dance." His face looked flustered, and he grinned sheepishly.  
'Somehow, he's even cuter when he's embarrassed.' Kairi thought as she said,  
"That's alright. I'm no champion at it either."  
"Phew, ok, I can do this then." He took out a pen from his pocket, took Kairi's arm gently and began writing on her arm.  
"AAAHAAHAA, STOP IT I'M TICKLISH!" Kairi squealed.  
"Sorry, I don't have a piece of paper!" He laughed.  
"There. That's my email, so you can let me know what to wear, when to pick you up, etc."  
"Sounds great. And thanks again Sora, for your help."  
"Your welcome. I'll see ya later." He waved goodbye and ran to catch up to Riku.

'Wow, did he just touch my arm? Did I just ask him to the dance and he said yes?!And were we kinda-sorta holding hands?' Kairi's thoughts were spinning wildly. She was so wrapped up in them that she didn't notice Xion coming towards her.  
"C'mon Kairi, it would've been faster if the vending machine came to me." She paused, noticing the abandoned snacks and Kairi's dazed expression.  
"What happened to you? Did you run into Sora?" Xion asked, elbowing her.  
"Yeah, but not before I ran into Larxene, who almost killed me." Kairi said matter-of-factly. She explained what happened, and Xion growled.  
"I'll get that bitch someday, just wait and see."  
"Oh it's okay, Sora rescued me." Kairi sighed.  
"Ooooooh, he did, did he? SO DID YOU ASK HIM OR WHAT?!"  
"Uh-huh."  
"WHAT DID HE SAY OH MY JESUS TELL ME ALREADY!"  
"HE SAID YES CAN YOU BELIEVE IT HE ACTUALLY SAID YES!"  
"OH MY GOD HE DID THATS AWESOME!"  
They were both squealing and jumping up and down.  
"Hold on, I'm calling Namine. I'll put her on speaker so we can both tell her our news." Xion pulled out her cell and dialled Namine's number.

Namine was happy to hear their good news, and that they now all had dates.  
"We seriously need to plan a shopping trip now." Xion declared.  
"Sounds good. It'll be my first dance with a DATE so I'm going to need your guys' advice." Namine said through the speakerphone.  
"I have tons of advice! Lots of cleavage, see through shirts and stuff your bra!" Xion declared.  
"Did you get that advice from Larxene?" Kairi teased. They giggled and started making impressions of her.  
"Sorry guys, but I only have so many minutes." Xion nagged. They said goodbye to Namine and promised to FaceTime later before hanging up the phone. They started walking home.  
"Ok but seriously," Xion continued.  
"Do you think Riku would like my cleavage?"  
Kairi stared at her, then burst out laughing.


	6. Chapter 6: The Letter

[A/N: Hey guys! How do you like it so far? I would really appreciate it if you left me a review and told me how I'm doing :) oh and don't worry, Kairi will get the letter VERY soon!]

Chapter Six

Kairi was in love. For days she floated around aimlessly, and she felt like an enormous blob of happiness. She smiled in the halls, finished all her homework and didn't complain in gym class. Occasionally she saw Sora in the halls, so she'd stop and talk to him. She sent him a few emails too. Overall she was more cheerful, and she was even nice to her brother, which really scared her parents.

Sunday afternoon rolled around, and she thought she'd better tell Ventus about Sora, but before she could pick up the phone, her father walked in with the mail.  
"Kairi, this one's for you. It looks pretty important." In his hand was a simple white envelope, and the front was addressed to 'Miss Kairi Hiyashi'  
"What's the return address Harry?" Kairi asked with curiosity.  
Harold flipped it over. "Huh. It doesn't say. The only thing here is a little star shaped icon thingie." Kairi began to freak out.  
"OH MY GOSH ITS PAOPU GIMME GIMME GIMME!" Kairi snatched it and tore it open. Inside was a neatly handwritten letter.

'Miss Hiyashi,  
We have received your letter and portfolio and are extremely pleased with your efforts. You seem to be a promising writer, and upon taking a few of our creative writing courses you should be ready to join us. However, we would like to get to know you and your writing style better. So we're giving you a task. Write a novel about interesting experiences you've had in your life. Once your finished, send it over, and if we like it, you're in.  
Good luck, and hope to see you soon!  
Sincerely,  
The Paopu Publishers Staff

"Oh. My. God. MOM! HARRY! THEY LIKED IT THEY ACTUALLY LIKED IT THEY SAID I HAD PROMISE!" Kairi squealed, jumping up and down. Her parents rushed to hug her.  
"OH HONEY THAT'S WONDERFUL!" Her mother cried, squeezing her tightly.  
"I knew you'd make it!" Harry said, smiling.  
Zack walked in and smirked.  
"Congrats sis. You actually have talent."  
"AWW NOT EVEN YOU CAN GET ME DOWN ZACKY!" Kairi cried, running to squeeze her brother in a death hug.  
"Augh, can't breathe.." He gasped, and Kairi immediately released him.  
"Sorry Zack. I don't want to be like Larxene, but GOD I'M JUST SO HAPPY I CAN'T EVEN!" She paused, as reality started sinking in.  
"But they said before they can accept me I have to write a novel about exciting things that've happened in my life." She frowned.  
"I don't think I have anything to write about."

"You could write about me." Zack grinned.  
"Ah, I think that would be a very short story. 'Zack Discovers Internet Porn, The End." Zack stuck his tongue out at her and ran to his room.  
"What about your sixth birthday party?" Harry suggested.  
"That was more depressing than exciting." She winced, recalling the memory.  
"You could write about your birth. THAT was exciting." Her mother said, rubbing her stomach at the memory.  
"Uh, no, thanks. I don't remember it anyway, thank god." Kairi shuddered.  
"Well, I'm sure you'll figure out something." Harry encouraged.  
"If you say so. I'm going to go tell my friends!" Kairi rushed into her room and fired up her laptop. As soon as it was running, she dialled Xion and Namine on Skype in group chat.

"Hey guys. Sorry it couldn't wait till tomorrow." Xion and Namine smiled.  
"That's ok, tell us the big news!" Namine urged.  
"I GOT A LETTER FROM PAOPU!"  
"WHAT YOU DID?" Xion and Namine gasped. Kairi explained to them what she had told her parents.  
"Hmm, so something exciting?" Namine asked.  
"Yep, and I can't think of anything."  
"You could write about Sora. That's exciting isn't it?" Namine suggested.  
"Yeah, but I'm not sure Paopu would like just another love story." Kairi sighed.  
"But Kairi, it's YOUR LIFE STORY. Besides, if you sent that folder of sappy poems that Sora definitely influenced and they liked it, well, you should go for it." Xion urged.  
Kairi glared at her through the computer screen. Xion stuck out her tongue, and Namine giggled.  
"Well, to be honest, that is all I really want to write about..." Kairi said.  
"Then you should!"  
"But what if they DO like it, and they decide to publish it? Then Sora, his buddies and THE WHOLE FUCKING SCHOOL would know about my secret love for him."  
"Yeah, but they will anyway when you show up at the dance with him." Namine argued.  
"Besides, when you're famous, they'll have to respect you." Xion pointed out.  
"I guess you're right. Ok, I think that's what I'll do." Kairi said, defeated.

"Good! Now that that's settled, do you guys want to see what I drew?" Namine asked, pulling her sketchbook off one of her shelves. Xion and Kairi nodded. Namine flipped to a page, then held it up to the screen. The computer didn't make it that easy to see, but Kairi could make out spiked hair and a grin.  
"Namine, that's awesome! Roxas is going to love it!" Kairi exclaimed.  
"You think he will? I wasn't going to give it to him but..."  
"But you have to give it to him. End of discussion." Xion said, and signed off.  
"Well, I'll leave you to your novel writing." Namine grinned as the screen went black.  
Kairi cracked her knuckles and opened up her Microsoft Word Document. Time to get to work.


	7. Chapter 7: An Unlikely Encounter

Chapter Seven

"My. Brain. Is. Empty." Kairi sighed, hitting her head violently on her desk.  
'All I can think about is that letter...' Since she wasn't getting any ideas staring at her computer screen, she thought it would be a good idea to call Ven and tell him the good news.  
"Hello, this is Ventus. May I ask who's calling?"  
"Geez Ven, you ever heard of call display?"  
"Oh hey Kai. What's up?"  
"Oh nothing. I just thought I should tell you that I got a letter back from Paopu."  
"You did?! Jesus Kai, that's fantastic!" Ven shouted. Kairi grinned. She knew calling him would cheer her up.  
"So what did they tell you?"  
"Well, before I can join I have to write an interesting novel. On my life."  
"Wow, you have a bit of a problem there." Ven chuckled.  
"Shut up! I know my life is not that exciting, but I have to write about something." Kairi wailed.  
"I know! How about a tragic tale of how your best friend was snatched away by the evil overlord Economy, and is now being held captive in his lair, California!" Ven declared, and Kairi laughed.  
"It has to be TRUTHFUL Ven."  
"Well it is the truth."

"I guess. So how was your skateboard competition?"  
"Eh, it was ok. Silver isn't so bad, but it wasn't exactly what I wanted."  
"Aw, those judges must've had their eyes closed. Otherwise, you'd totally have gold."  
"Thanks Kai. That's sweet of you to say. How are Xion and Namine?" He asked.  
"They're great. They both have dates to the dance, believe it or not."  
"Really, even Xion?"  
"Yup. I was surprised too." Kairi giggled.  
"I'm taking it your flying solo?"  
"There is no flying solo, you can't get in without a date."  
"God, that's retarded. So are you not going, then?"  
"Actually I am. I'm going with Sora."  
There was silence on the other end of the line.  
"Uh, Ven? You still there?"  
"Yeah, I just... I have to go now. Goodbye Kairi." He said, hanging up.  
Click.

'That was weird. Why did he seem in such a hurry to hang up? And why did he use my full name? Something must be bugging him.' Kairi thought. He might've still been disappointed about the whole skateboarding thing. She sent him a short, cheerful email in hopes of making him feel better. Then she decided it would do her some good if she took a walk and gathered her thoughts. Maybe it would help her with the obvious brain clog she had going on.

Some fresh air turned out to be just what Kairi needed. The late afternoon sun beamed down from the sky, making her feel at ease and relaxed. She ended up walking towards the elementary school park, which was fine with her. There was a small commotion in the parking lot, so Kairi decided to check it out. Dozens of kids were crowded around a small truck, and she immediately regretted coming over.  
'Oh god, it's the ice cream truck. Of course the second I get a date and I have to fit in a teeny tiny little dress, the truck that makes all fat people run comes along.'  
She knew she shouldn't have any, but as fate would have it, she had a few dollars inside her coat pocket.  
'Well, if you can't beat em, join em.'  
Kairi walked up towards the counter of the truck.  
"O-K, I'll have a caramel crunch cone please." She said, handing him her change.  
He handed her the cone, and she thanked him, strolling away happily. Then she noticed all the kids around the truck were staring at her.

"What are you freaks looking at? I'm allowed to enjoy life, okay?!" She growled. One kid started to sniffle.  
'Oh great, just what I need.' She awkwardly patted him on the head.  
"I-It's ok. Sorry if I yelled..." The kid looked up at her, then snatched her ice cream.  
"Hey, you little brat! Come back here!" He turned around, stuck out his tongue, and dashed across the street.  
"You're a jackass! I hope you get hit by a car!" She yelled, sticking her middle finger in the air.  
'Jesus, that's just my luck.' She sighed and walked out of the park.  
"Wow, that was intense. You sure handle kids in an interesting way." A familiar voice said behind her. Kairi spun around.

Of course it was Sora, the sweetest guy she knew. Of course he saw her yell at a kid to get hit by a car.  
"God, you heard that, didn't you?" Kairi groaned. Sora laughed.  
"Yup, and I gotta say, so far this has been the most entertaining part of my day."  
"I'm uh, usually not like that with kids, but when somebody steals my food.." She said, blushing profusely.  
"Yeah, I hear you there." Sora pulled out two Popsicles from behind him and smiled.  
"Here, I don't think Riku is going to show, and I don't want this to go to waste." He said, handing her one.  
"Thank you..."  
"Your welcome, just don't yell at harmless little children anymore, okay?"  
Kairi nodded sheepishly.  
"Good. I hope you like the flavour, it's Riku's favourite." Kairi took a small bite. Then she smiled.  
"Sea salt, right?" Sora nodded.  
"This is like the second best flavour out there!"  
"Yeah, I think so too." He started walking away.  
" I came here to meet up with Riku, but he's obviously not coming, so do you wanna hang out?"

Kairi's pulse quickened. Sora wanted to hang out with her? This could make for an interesting chapter in her story.  
"Okay sure." As they ate their ice cream, they began talking about their lives. Sora was actually really easy to talk to, and he was easygoing as well as a good listener.  
"The popular life actually isn't all it's cracked up to be." He said between mouthfuls of ice cream.  
"There's all this pressure to be perfect, and you have to be a certain way otherwise you're gone. I am definitely not perfect." He grinned.  
"Uh, yes you are." Kairi hadn't realized she said it out loud, and as soon as she did, her face turned fire engine red. Sora laughed.  
"Thanks, but I'm really not. My grade in English is not that good, I can't memorize the periodic table, and my room is really messy!" Kairi laughed.  
"Hey don't feel bad, mine's probably worse!"

They laughed for a few minutes, then Kairi said,  
"What don't you get in English? I'm an A student, so I could help you out."  
"See that's the thing. I understand everything, but I just can't...write."  
"Hmm, I see your problem." Kairi thought for a moment.  
"I can't teach you to be a better writer, but I can show you some tips and tricks one day, if you want." Kairi offered.  
"Really? That would be awesome if you could."  
"Sure, I'd be happy to."  
"Thanks Kairi!" Sora grinned. Kairi smiled back at him. She loved his smile.  
"And in return, I can help you with anything your struggling with." Kairi mentally went through her grades. They weren't that great, except for English, but Math was definitely the worst.  
"Well, I can't for the life of me understand equations."  
"I'm good at those. How about every day after school we get together and each get an hour of lessons?" Sora suggested.  
Two hours each day with Sora Takahashi? Like she was going to say no.  
"Yeah, and we can alternate houses." Kairi added.  
"Alright. First lesson can be at mine if you'd like." He offered.  
"Ok, sounds good."

"Great! You're really saving my ass here." Sora smiled.  
'I'd be glad to save it.' She thought.  
"You're going to save mine too." They turned the corner and her house came into view.  
"Well, this is my stop."  
"Wow, this is your house? It's nice." He commented. Kairi stared at him in disbelief. Her house, nice? The front was an ugly shade of mahogany, the windows had weird glass patterns and her mailbox was slightly tilted to the left. It was anything but nice.  
"Thanks, I don't really like the color though..." She could see her mom doing dishes in one of the windows.  
"Ah, my mom's expecting me."  
"Ok, well I'll see you tomorrow."  
"Alright, goodbye Sora."  
"Goodbye Kairi. And thanks." He waved as she closed the door.


	8. Chapter 8: The Longest Day

Chapter Eight

Mondays always seemed bad, but today it seemed incredibly LONG. Kairi was fidgeting through her math lesson, and it was only 3rd period.  
"Oh my gosh Kairi, you need to RELAX." Xion whispered. Namine nodded. "Yeah, lunch won't come any faster if your foot's spazzing like that." Kairi groaned. She wanted to tell them SO BAD, but she couldn't. Finally, FINALLY, the bell rang for lunch, and she could tell them everything.

"Okay, let me get this straight." Xion said.  
"You ran into Sora yesterday, he fed you ice cream and now you're going to give him a writing lesson?"  
"Yes, and in exchange he's going to teach me some math."  
"For how long?"  
"Every day after school until we both get it."  
Xion spit out her mouthful of salad.  
"WHAAAAAAAT?!"  
Namine laughed. "Xion, don't waste your food."  
"Sorry, but I feel like Kairi is getting farther in her love life than we are." Xion began stabbing her lettuce violently with her fork.  
"No she's not." Namine took out her sketchbook and replied,  
"Tell her what you told me in Art."  
Xion grinned. "I stalked Riku yesterday."

This time, Kairi was the one whose food left her mouth.  
"Xion...!"  
"Well, at the beginning I was stalking him, then he found out and offered to take me out for pizza." She smiled sheepishly.  
"Huh, well then I guess I should be thanking you. The only reason he hung out with me was because Riku didn't show."  
"Aw, you see, I planned that all along." Namine and Kairi laughed.  
"How was it?" She asked. Xion swallowed her food this time.  
"It was amazing. At school he's like this really quiet person, but he's really deep. He talks about the future, and doesn't really care about sports. Apparently him and Sora are really close, and he feels like he doesn't belong with the popular crowd. Oh, and he plays guitar." She smiled.  
"Wow, that's unusual." Namine commented.  
"I know! I think it's attractive to think deeper than what you're having for dinner and who you're going to sleep with this week." Xion sighed.

Roxas began heading towards their table. Namine smiled shyly, tucking her hair behind her ears.  
"Hey Namine. I just wanted to say thanks for the picture."  
"Oh, it was nothing." She said quietly.  
"Listen, do you wanna...take a walk?" He asked. Namine turned to Kairi and Xion, who nodded in encouragement.  
"Go ahead Namine, there's nothing exciting going on here anyway." Xion gave an exaggerated wink. Namine gathered her things with one hand, boldly taking Roxas's with the other. They walked away, hand in hand, smiling.  
"Aww, look at how cute they are together." Kairi grinned.  
"Yeah, I always knew they would end up together. It was fate." Xion declared.  
"I guess we're not the only ones working on our love life."  
"I think Namine has us both beat!" Kairi stopped chewing her sandwich to take a sip of her lemonade.  
"That's for sure, she didn't have to TUTOR Roxas just to spend time with him."  
"But study dates are always the best! It usually ends with a make out session." Xion waggled her eyebrows.  
"You don't understand Xion, he actually wants to study." Kairi sighed.  
"Sure, that's what they all say."

The last class of the day rolled around, and Kairi was a wreck. Thank God it was only her option block, any real learning would've made her scream. Thankfully, her creative writing teacher, Professor Zexion, thought he understood why she was on edge.  
"I bet you feel pressured to write a whole novel to a world famous publisher by the end of the year." Kairi nodded. No sense in telling him the real reason why she was like this.  
"Since you're such an excellent student, I'll let you leave early, as long as you promise to write a few chapters today."  
"I promise. Thank you Professor Zexion!" She smiled and he shooed her out.

Now Kairi had a chance to regain herself. She stood outside and glanced at her watch.  
'3:15. Ok, you can do this Kairi.' She thought. His last class that day was gym, Kairi knew this because she had memorized his schedule, as well as his locker number.  
'I'm not a stalker. Nope, not at all...' The bell rang and kids began to file out of the building. Kairi looked at her phone casually, like she wasn't a big loser waiting around for someone. She had told her mom yesterday what was going on, so she didn't have a panic attack when Kairi didn't come was heading out of the school, and as she walked past Kairi she whispered, "Just remember, it's not good to have sex on the first date." Kairi punched her on the arm and Xion ran away laughing.  
From a distance, Kairi could see Namine and Roxas saying their goodbyes. Their hands were intertwined, and Namine was smiling at something he was saying. Then he bent down and kissed her cheek.  
Kairi couldn't help it. "WHOO YOU GO NAMINE!" She yelled, and Namine blushed and waved. The people around Kairi stared, but she didn't care. Someone tapped her shoulder gently.  
"Thanks for yelling, I was worried I was never going to find you." Sora grinned. His hair was damp from gym, and Kairi refrained from stroking it.

"I couldn't help it. Roxas and Namine are so cute together." She smiled.  
"Yeah, I think so too. C'mon, my car's over here." He gestured towards the school parking lot.  
"You have a car?! Damn you're lucky, my parents won't even let me take the bus."  
"Why not? He asked.  
"Well, according to my mom, 'lots of people get stabbed on public transportation.'" Sora burst into laughter.  
"Wow, you're mom sounds great! I can't wait to meet her." He stopped in front of a sleek black convertible and pulled out his keys.  
"This is your ride? I love this car! I always stop in the morning to look at it." She immediately realized how uncool that sounded, but Sora didn't take much notice.  
"It was a gift from my uncle. He's a business typhoon, so he has no budgets."  
He gestured for her to get in the front seat. Sora put the keys in the ignition started up the car. He pulled out of the parking lot and drove away from the school. Kairi buckled her seatbelt and put her backpack on the floor. The sun was in her eyes and she squinted.

"Sorry, is the sun bothering you? Here, you can borrow my sunglasses." He reached down into one of the cup holders and pulled out a pair of shades. Kairi gently slipped them on and thanked him.  
'I am wearing Sora's sunglasses. And am inside his car, driving to his house." Kairi covered her mouth to keep from squealing.

They passed a large cluster of kids from school, and they gawked at them.  
"Uh, do you usually get this much attention?" Kairi asked.  
"Not this much. It must be because I have a GIRL in the vehicle." Sora grinned.  
"You can't really blame them, I mean, we're not exactly 'in the same crowd' if you get what I'm saying."  
"Yeah, now they probably think I go around picking up random girls and go clubbing with them or something."  
"But it's Monday, nobody wants to go clubbing today." Kairi said in fake seriousness.  
"WE DO,ISN'T THAT RIGHT KAIRI?" He yelled, more to the people out the window than to her. She played along.  
"YEP! WE'RE GONNA GO DO DRUGS AND HAVE A DANCE PARTY AT THE CLUB ON MONDAAAAY!"  
"OH YEAH PARTY HARD ALL WEEK!" The cluster of people were staring in disbelief. Kairi and Sora burst out laughing.  
"ITS NOT NICE TO STARE OKAY GUYS?" Kairi yelled.

"That'll teach em." Sora chuckled.  
"You do realize rumours are going to fly now, right?" Kairi worried.  
"Nah, they know I'm an athlete and I have good grades. Besides, I can't dance, so why would I go to a club underage?" Kairi began to laugh harder.  
"I think they'll be disappointed when they find out we're just studying."  
"That's ok. Serves em right for wanting to spread rumours."  
Sora stopped outside a large house.  
"Well, this is it."  
Kairi couldn't help but gawk at it. There were at least four floors, and the house was painted a cheerful yellow.  
"Oh my god it's enormous!" Kairi gasped.  
"Nothing special. Don't worry, I promise you won't get lost." Sora grinned. He grabbed his keys and put one into the lock. He twisted it, and opened the door, gesturing her to step inside.  
This was it. Kairi took a deep breath and walked inside.


	9. Chapter 9: Sora's House

Chapter Nine

"Welcome to the Takahashi household!" Sora waved his hands dramatically, doing jazz hands. Kairi laughed and took off her shoes. The house was even bigger on the inside. Between the high ceilings, winding staircase, and flat screen TV, Kairi felt like she was in a mansion. Sora's mother stepped out of the kitchen.  
"Mom, this is Kairi Hiyashi, the girl who's going to help with my grade."  
His mom was a neat person, with an ironed skirt and blouse, and her hair was tied neatly in a simple bun.  
"It's nice to meet you." Kairi said politely. His mom smiled warmly at her.  
"You too, and thanks for offering to teach him some things, I'm worried about his marks in English."  
"Don't worry, I'll be sure he makes the grade." Kairi grinned at Sora, and he smiled back.  
"I'm glad to hear it. You two behave, alright?" His mom winked, Sora groaned, and Kairi blushed.  
"Mo-om, I told you already, it's not like that." He shook his head and sighed.

A young woman with bright blue hair walked in the room.  
"Good luck trying to teach him anything." She snorted.  
"Aqua, be nice." Her mother scolded.  
"It's ok mom, she's just mad because I ate the last Pocky." Sora grinned.  
What? You did? You little brat, I'm going to kill you!" Aqua growled.  
"Children, we have a guest in the house, save the bickering for later."  
"Don't worry about it, Mrs. Takahashi, it's way worse at my house." Kairi grinned.  
"C'mon, Kairi, my room's up here." Sora started up the long staircase, and Kairi followed.  
"I know I said this before, but you're house is amazing!"  
"Thanks. My room isn't much though." He said, opening the second door on to the right. Inside was an enormous room with a king sized bed and a large window leading to a balcony. The walls and carpet were a creamy white, and on the other wall there was a walk in closet and a keyboard.

"Not much? This is as big as my living room!" Kairi gasped. Sora shrugged modestly.  
"If you say so. I don't have a desk, so we can sit over here." Sora sat on his bed, books open, and gestured her to sit down.  
It was as comfy as it looked. For a brief moment she wondered if she would ever get to sleep in it, then shook that thought out of her head.  
"Okay. What do you want to start with?" Kairi asked.  
"Teach me how to write better."  
"Well, you can't teach someone to be a better writer, but I can show you some tips." She started off with the basics, and Sora got that quickly. Then she told him to write about things that inspired him.  
"What do you like to talk about? What are you're interests?" She urged.  
"Well, I like sports, but I don't talk about them. I play the piano, but there's not much to write about there." Sora sighed.  
"Yes there is. Why don't you play something for me?"  
"Ok, but I don't see how this is going to make me a better writer."

He walked over to the keyboard and sat down.  
"What do you want me to play?" He asked.  
"I want you to play whatever makes you feel really happy whenever you play it."  
Sora played some chords, then began a soft melody. It sounded sad at first, then the tempo sped up to sound angry, and finally, the finale was happy.  
'Wow, he's incredible.' Kairi thought.  
After it was finished Kairi clapped.  
"Ok, what are you feeling right now? Don't tell me, write it down. It can be a sentence, a paragraph, a poem, whatever makes you feel comfortable." Sora took a piece of paper and began to scribble furiously.  
His mom walked in with a plate of cookies.  
"Oh good, you're working him hard. I brought you guys a snack." She smiled. It seemed as though Sora got his cheerfulness from her, seeing how Aqua wasn't very happy.  
"Thanks Mrs. Takahashi." Kairi said as she set the plate down.  
"Please, call me Jillian."  
"Ok, thanks Jillian."  
"Not a problem. Thank you for helping Sora."  
Then she closed the door with a soft click.

"Done!" Sora cried, dropping his pen to the floor.  
"Alright, let's see what you came up with." She took the piece of paper and read what he had written. He had written a short story about a bunny who was trying to find his place in the world after his parents were kidnapped by hunters. In the end, he ended up finding them, but they were dead in a cage.  
"And you say you can't write. That was awesome, you're going to make me cry." Kairi said, wiping her eyes.  
Sora shrugged. "Thanks. Now I think that's enough English for now. Time for math!"he grinned. Kairi groaned.  
"But I'm absolutely stupid when it comes to math."  
"Aw, that's why I'm gonna teach you. Besides, you don't think that writing wasn't embarrassing for me? I thought it sounded dumb."  
"Yeah, but I'm actually stupid." Kairi sighed, taking out her textbook.  
"But you're really smart. Don't put yourself down like that." Sora took her hand and squeezed it. Kairi blushed.  
"O-Ok."

Sora went over the basics in Trigonometry, which Kairi didn't get. He was really patient and tried to explain as best as he could, but she still didn't get it.  
"I am really retarded. I tried to tell you Sora." Kairi was blinking back tears. She felt so stupid, and it wasn't helping that she was about to cry.  
"It's alright. Sometimes you don't quite get it at first, but as soon as you do, you'll get everything." Two hours had passed, and Kairi had to leave.  
"Would you like to stay for dinner?" Sora's mother asked.  
"I'd love to, but I told my mom I'd be back by 6:00 and if I'm not she'll freak out at me."  
"It's alright, Sora chews with his mouth open anyway, so you wouldn't really enjoy it." Aqua grinned. Sora punched her in the arm.  
"Shut up Aqua. You're just jealous because I'm actually going to my school dance and you didn't." Aqua growled and grabbed his shirt collar with one hand, her other hand clenched in a fist.  
"You take that back or I'll break your face."  
Their mom intervened before anyone was hurt.  
"Really Aqua, all I ask is to behave with your brother when we have civilized people over. And Sora, can you not say things that upset your sister for at least a few hours?" Aqua released her grip and Sora adjusted his shirt.

"I'm sorry Kairi. My children can't behave themselves when they're in the same room together."  
"Like I said, no worries. My family is worse."  
"Highly doubtful, but I appreciate your tolerance."  
"If you want, I can drive you home." Sora offered.  
"You don't have to..."  
"Please, anything to get out of the house." He gestured towards Aqua, now in the kitchen nibbling on a carrot stick and glaring at him.  
"Alright then. Thanks again Mrs. Takahashi." Kairi waved.  
"Not a bit of it dear. Come back anytime."

"Wow, you and you're sister are really distant." Kairi said once they were out of the house.  
"Yeah." Sora sighed as he started the car.  
"I don't know what happened. When we were little we were really close, but once we got a bit older things changed."  
"That's sad. She seems really nice when she's not threatening you violently." Kairi mused.  
"I think everything kind of escalated when my dad died a few years back. It kind of set her off."  
Kairi gasped. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry." She said, impulsively taking his hand that wasn't steering.  
"Why are you sorry? You didn't kill him." Sora took a deep breath.  
"I was only 14, Aqua was 18. We were sitting at home, waiting for him to come home one night. He never did. We were told an accident had happened at the site he was working at. When it happened, Mom cried, I Aqua shut herself in her room for days, and I didn't talk for a month. It was horrible."

He stopped the car, now in front of Kairi's house.  
"When we finally adjusted, it wasn't the same. Aqua went off to college, but she couldn't make any friends, so after a year she came back home. Since our uncle is providing for us, it wasn't a burden on my mother at all. She was way more sensitive, since her and Dad were really close, I think it affected her a lot." Sora helped Kairi out of the car.  
"Wow, that's... I mean... I didn't know." Kairi stuttered.  
"That's ok. You had no idea of knowing. Usually when someone's parents die they go all depressed and wear black all the time. I got through it because I had my mom and Riku. None of my other friends really cared, but he was always really supportive of me."  
"I wish I could've been there." Kairi whispered.  
"It's ok, at least you know now."  
"If it makes you feel any better, my dad died six years ago because he was addicted to crystal meth."  
"Oh, that sounds really bad. Sorry." Kairi shrugged.  
"He was a bastard anyway."  
Sora ran his fingers through his hair.  
"Well, I guess we've both had our history of family trauma."  
"Yeah, I'd say so. By the way, that song you played: what was it?"

"I don't know. You said to play whatever made me feel happy, and making things up make me happy."  
Kairi's jaw dropped.  
"You made that up? But it was amazing! It sounded like some famous pianist composed it."  
"Nah, it was just made up by an average person."  
"Sora, as much as you hate to admit it, you're not average." Sora looked startled for a moment.  
"What do you mean...?"  
"You're popular, of course. "  
Sora looked relieved. "Oh yeah, of course. P-Popularity."  
Kairi was confused. Wasn't she the only one who stuttered? Why was Sora acting like this?  
"Well, I don't want to keep my mom waiting."  
"Understandable. Thanks for coming over Kairi."  
"No problem. You're alright coming over here tomorrow?"  
"Yeah, it should be interesting, what with all you've told me about your mother." Sora grinned. Kairi sighed.  
"Interesting for you, at least."


	10. Chapter 10: The Next Day

[A/N: Hey guys! I would really appreciate it if you left me some more reviews. It'll help me improve in the next chapers•~•  
Also I apologize if my chapters are posted slower than usual. I've got finals in the next few weeks and I need to study. But once I'm done school I figure I'll have more time to write.]

Chapter Ten

Xion and Namine were waiting at Kairi's locker the next day.  
"So! Tell us what happened!" Namine squealed.  
"Did he kiss you first?" Xion asked.  
"Guuuuuys, I already told you, it's not like that. He needs help with his English, and I'm just helping him." Xion and Namine looked disappointed.  
"So he didn't kiss you?"  
"No, but he let me wear his sunglasses and he called me smart and he held my hand." Kairi grinned. Xion rolled her eyes.  
"Kairi, I don't think that's even first base. You need to up your game a little."  
Kairi stuck out her tongue at her. Namine laughed.  
"Xion, not all of us are into sex on the first date." She smiled.  
"Hey! You make it sound like I'm some big whore!" Xion swatted at her, but Namine ducked.  
"You're not a whore, but you are the only non virgin here." Kairi pointed out.  
"Well I can't do anything about that now, I already did it, and I have to say, I have no regrets." Xion grinned. "You too are missing out!"  
"Hardly." Namine said. "You're the only one here who actually wants sex."  
"Well..." Kairi began.  
"Kairi Hiyashi! You are not suggesting what I think you're suggesting?" Xion gasped.  
"I don't know, I've thought about it a lot, that's all. It's not like I'd be willing to become a prostitute or anything."  
"Well then, it looks like your the odd one out Namine."  
"Which is funny because she's getting farther than both of us!"  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
"You mean, you didn't see?"  
"See what?"  
"Yesterday, after school, Roxas totally kissed her!"  
Namine blushed as Xion squealed.  
"My little Namine is growing up!"  
"Stop it, that's what my mom said." Namine cringed.  
"Did he have a reason for being so SPONTANEOUS?" Xion grinned.  
"I don't know. He was just saying goodbye and then it sort of happened. And it was only on the cheek." Namine glared at Kairi.  
"Oh, that's not very exciting then." Xion sighed. "Let me know when something real scandalous happens."

None of them noticed Sora walking towards them.  
"Hey Kairi. Ready for after school?" He grinned. Xion and Namine exchanged dubious glances.  
"Hell I'm ready. The question is, are you?" Kairi smiled.  
"I don't know. You're mom sounds awesome, but I'm kind of scared to meet her."  
"With good reason." Xion cut in.  
"If she doesn't like you, she'll bring out her guillotine."  
Kairi smacked her. "Xion, my mom does not have a guillotine."  
"Oh yeah, well then what was that giant thing she was using the one day Namine and I were there?"  
"Um, a kitchen knife?"  
"Oh."  
Sora burst out laughing. "I was really worried for a minute there. If all your mom has are kitchen knives then I think I'm good." He glanced at his watch.  
"Crap, I have to go meet Riku before Calculus. I'll catch you guys later."  
"Say hi to Riku for me." Xion called after him.  
"For sure!"  
Kairi sighed. "Damn, isn't he cute?"  
"Well, not for me, but for you, definitely." Namine smiled. Xion frowned.  
"Ok, forget Sora and Riku and Roxas for a minute. We need to plan a shopping trip ASAP. Because in case you two didn't remember, the dance is in two weeks."  
Kairi gasped. "Oh my God, I forgot all about the dance!"  
"Thought so. Well then, when are we going?"  
"I don't know. A day when I'm not over at Sora's house or he's at mine?"  
"How about Saturday?"  
Namine shook her head. "Can't. I promised Roxas I'd watch him practice at his Fight Club."  
Xion groaned. "Then we're going to have to go on Sunday, which is the worst possible day to go."  
"How come?"  
"Becaaaaaause, only old people go shopping on Sunday."  
Namine and Kairi giggled.  
"Xion, don't be so against old people. At least we won't run into any Christians." Namine pointed out.  
"Namine! Why are you so against Christians?" Xion gasped in fake shock.  
The trio burst into giggles. The bell rang, cutting off their laughter.  
"Ok, Sunday it is then." Xion declared as they headed towards their morning classes.

Today was an easier day, except that they had double before lunch. The first block was absolute torture, with Mrs. Wellsbrooke making them do push-ups and planks.  
"It's good for gaining your strength! You don't want to be a bunch of sissies when you grow up, do you?" She yelled in her gruff tone.  
'I'd rather jump off a cliff.' Kairi thought bitterly as she weakly attempted her push-ups. The worst part was that most of the girls in her class were really active, while the only time she ever ran was if she was being chased. And that didn't happen very often.  
On her left was Xion, who had really nice arms because she usually worked out at home. To her right was Yuffie, one of the sportiest people Kairi knew. She played on all of the school teams, and she ran marathons every second weekend. Needless to say, she was the exact opposite of Kairi.  
"I could hold plank all day." She boasted to her friend Olette, who was on the other side of her. Kairi sighed in frustration, struggling to hold her own plank position. Xion rolled her eyes at her remark.  
"Well not all of us are athletic junkies who have to run in a dome to get a life." Yuffie glared at her and huffed. Kairi repressed giggles.  
The next gym class not nearly as exciting because they were paired up with the boys to play dodgeball, which was one of Kairi's least favourite activities. For starters, it was with the boys, so they all watched her fail miserably. Second, all of the girls were so terrible (including herself) and it was almost always girls against guys. Third, Vanitas was in the same gym block as her, and whenever they played a coed game he would make fun of all the girls. He was such an arrogant fuckboy.

Like usual, Vanitas was dominating the game (he failed the grade three times so it was the only reason he was better than everyone else) and Kairi was sitting in the corner hiding from his wrath. The teachers never payed attention when gaming was coed, so it made things even worse for the girls.  
"Honestly, I hate how they run things in gym." Xion complained.  
"I was just thinking that exact same thing, it's so stupid especially with Vanitas."  
Vanitas heard his name and smirked.  
"Talking about me again Kairi? You seriously have to get over me."  
Kairi growled. "You need to get over yourself, Vanitas." He laughed and threw a dodgeball at her, hitting her in her chest.  
He chortled. "Look at that titty action!" All the guys started laughing, and Kairi lost it.  
"That's. It." She picked up a dodgeball, aimed at his face, and threw it as hard as she could. The dodgeball hit him square in the face, and he winced in pain.  
"HAHA TAKE THAT YOU LITTLE DOUCHEPANTS!" Kairi cackled.  
The entire gym was laughing, and Vanitas looked pissed. She could tell he wanted to say something, but the teachers had come back so he couldn't. Kairi was victorious.  
After gym class, everyone seemed to be buzzing about Kairi's awesome comeback, and by the time lunch came around, she had been congratulated by at least twenty people. Sora was the twenty-first to congratulate her, giving her a high five and a huge smile.  
"I heard you completely dominated Vanitas in dodgeball. And you said you hated physical activity!" He grinned.  
"I do hate it, but it was pretty great today!" She declared. Riku was standing behind Sora, and he stepped out in front of him.  
"Good job." He said quietly. Kairi was taken aback. Sora noticed the look on her face and asked, "What's wrong?"  
"Huh? Oh nothing, it's just... I think that's the first time I heard you speak before." She gestured towards Riku.  
"I guess I don't really like talking in public." He shrugged.  
"He's just got shyness issues." Sora grinned, and Riku jokingly punched him in the arm. They both smiled at each other for a moment, then they bid Kairi farewell and congratulations before heading over to their table.

The rest of the day went by fast, and it was the end of the day before she knew it.  
Since she usually walked home, Sora drove his car again. The trip wasn't long, and they were soon standing in front of her doorstep.  
Kairi grinned.  
"You ready to meet my mom Sora?"


	11. Chapter 11: Special

[A/N: Reviews are always appriciated! I apologize to any Christians I might have offended while making this story.]

Chapter Eleven

As soon as they walked into Kairi's house, she could hear her mother.  
"Kairi, is that you? Don't slam the door like that, you're gonna kill me."  
"How would I kill you unless I slammed your head in the door?" Kairi sighed.  
"Well you could give me a fucking heart attack, that's what."  
"Mom!" Kairi gasped gesturing towards Sora, who was standing in the doorway looking slightly uncomfortable.  
"Oh Kairi! You have to let me know when there are people coming over, then I won't swear!"  
"I told you yesterday, Ma. Sora's helping me with Trig, and I'm helping him with English."  
Her mom gasped. "This is Sora? Well God, that's fantastic!"  
She stepped back. "Wait, you're not Christian are you?"  
Sora laughed awkwardly. "No, don't worry. You can swear as much as you want in front of me. I don't mind."  
Kairi's mother looked relieved. "Well on that note, I'll leave you guys to whatever you were going to do? Hopefully not each other?"  
Kairi blushed profusely, and Sora let out another awkward laugh.  
"Mom please, just don't."  
"Ok ok, I get it. Shutting up now." Just then Zack emerged from his room. He saw Sora standing there and gawked.  
"Wow," he muttered. "Kairi actually brought home a guy." He smirked, dodging Kairi's fist.  
"WHAT THE FUCK IS WITH MY FAMILY TRYING TO RUIN MY SOCIAL LIFE?!" She screamed. An uncomfortable silence settled in the room. Henry came into the room, noticed the awkward tension, then wordlessly slipped back into the kitchen.  
"Come on Sora," Kairi fumed. "Let's go in my room, where there'll be less ANNOYING PEOPLE. And we are going to go into my room and we are going to shut the door and no one is going to bother us." She now spoke to her mom and brother.  
"We may be doing anything, possibly even each other, but know this: we are actually studying." And with that, she wordlessly led Sora down the hall to her room.

As soon as she shut the door, Sora burst out laughing.  
"What's so funny?"  
"Can I just say, you're family is even better in person, especially your mom." He chuckled.  
"Yeah, well I'd prefer them far away. You heard how embarrassing they are." She sighed.  
"Aw, they're not so bad. It was just a bit awkward, that's all."  
"A bit? You're too nice. It was extremely awkward!"  
"It would have been more awkward if I was Christian."  
They looked at each other and burst out laughing.  
After their laughter had died down, Sora said, "I can't believe your mom thought we were going to..." He began.  
Kairi cut him off. "W-Well that's my mother." She blushed.  
"Maybe it would be better if you didn't tell her about the dance thing. She might get the wrong idea."  
"T-That would p-probably be best." She stuttered.  
Sora nodded, then took out his books.  
'God I am a retard.' Kairi thought miserably.  
'It was a big mistake inviting him over.'

After they finished Kairi's session, Sora's phone dinged. He picked it up, read the text, and frowned.  
"Sorry, Kairi. Riku just texted me, and he needs me to come over. It sounds urgent."  
"Oh, that's fine. I understand."  
Sora grinned. "Thanks for understanding."

As soon as Sora left, Kairi tried calling Ventus to tell him about her excitement, but it went to voicemail.  
Kairi frowned. 'He never leaves without his cell phone. Something's up.'  
She was about to send him an email, when the phone rang. It turned out to be Namine, so she soon forgot her priorities as she ran to pick up the phone.  
"Oh Namine, what was I thinking inviting Sora to my house? My mom was super embarrassing, like worse than usual."  
Namine laughed softly on the other end. "I'm sure it wasn't that bad, you told me yourself he really wanted to meet her."  
Kairi sighed. "I guess your right. So what's up?"  
She could hear Namine giggling.  
"What happened? Why do you sound so happy and non serious?" She teased.  
"Wellllllll..." Another giggle.  
"C'mon! You're gonna kill me with suspense!"  
"Ok ok, I'll tell you." She took a deep breath, then answered, "Roxas kissed me. For real this time."  
Kairi squealed. "REALLY?!"  
"YEAH!"  
"AW THATS ADORABLE YOU GUYS ARE SO CUTE!"  
"STOP! My face hurts from smiling so much."  
"How did it happen?" She asked.  
"After his fight club stuff was done, he offered to walk me home. On the way there, he went out and asked me if I was ok with what he did yesterday, meaning the cheek kiss. I said yes, and might have told him I would be ok if it happened again and this time it was real."  
"Wow, that's awesome! Did you tell Xion yet?"  
"Yeah I called her as soon as I could. I waited until you were done studying with Sora to tell you."  
"Well you didn't have to wait! I wouldn't have minded if you interrupted me making a fool of myself trying to understand Trig." Kairi laughed.  
"Still, I know how important it is to you. So does this mean you guys are together now?"  
"I don't know."  
"You didn't clarify this?!"  
"Um, no."  
"Huh. Well I think it does. You should expect him to think so, anyways."  
Namine sighed. "Is he going to expect other things of me?"  
"Maybe. But if he likes you that much he'll respect your choices."  
"I hope so."

Not long after their conversation, Kairi got another phone call.  
"Hello, this is the Hiyashi household. Kairi speaking."  
"You're going to get what's coming to you, sweetness."  
It was Vanitas. Kairi sighed. "Look Vanitas, I'm sorry I publicly embarrassed you today, but you kind of deserved it after making fun of my breasts like that."  
"I'm going to make you sorry you ever tried that."  
Kairi snorted. "How? My life is crappy enough as it is, so I don't think you could do anymore damage. And don't bother trying to kill me, your sex buddy already tried that."  
"I wonder," He snickered, "if Sora would like to know how you really feel about him?"  
Kairi panicked. If Vanitas really did tell him, the dance would be off, and so would the study sessions.  
"He already knows." She mentally slapped herself. That was the dumbest thing she could've said.  
Vanitas laughed. "Oh does he now?"  
Kairi clenched her fists. Damn, he got her.  
"Why else would we be going to the dance with me?"  
Silence on the other end. Then she heard the ugliest laughter.  
"Oh god, that's really something!" He hooted. Kairi growled.

"You want to know a secret dear? Sora's not an ordinary person. No, he's far more 'special'."  
Kairi's pulse quickened. Was he lying?  
"Yeah I'm sure he is."  
"I could tell you more..." Vanitas cackled.  
"I'm not sure I should trust any information you tell me."  
More laughter. "Come on, why would I lie to you?"  
"Uh, because I hit you in the face and publicly called you a douchepants?"  
"That was nothing. Actually pretty sexy."  
Kairi rolled her eyes. This was exactly what she'd expect from him.  
"You know," He continued, "I can tell you more about Sora, and what makes him so special."  
"Oh yeah? Just like that, no catch?"  
"Well, almost. I have a price for what I do, I can't just give the information to you sugar."  
Kairi weighed her options. She could ask Sora herself, possibly ruining anything they had, or she could get her information from an unreliable source, asking for a ridiculous price.  
"How much money would I be giving you?"  
"Oh no, I would never ask you to give me any money. All I want is a little piece of you."  
'Seriously?!' Kairi thought.  
"Sorry Vanitas, we're going to have to work something else out."  
"It's that or nothing."  
"Oh come on! Couldn't I just buy you a prostitute instead?"  
"Tempting, but no. I'd prefer someone I know personally, and who's pretty good at showing me up. Not to mention a damn fine body." Vanitas whistled.  
"Ugh, no thanks."  
"Well if you change your mind, my bedroom's always open." He laughed.  
Kairi lost it. "YOU'RE SUCH A FUCKBOY!" She yelled, then hung up the phone and threw it against the wall.


	12. Chapter 12: Uncertainty

[A/N: Wow, it's really been a while since I updated this story! I apologize, I guess I just got bored of it (what can I say, I have some long-term commitment issues). But anyway, I'll try my best to update when I'm feeling motivated. Plus, reviewing helps everything along as well, so please consider doing that. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! Now, on to the story...]

Chapter Twelve

Kairi was a train wreck the rest of the week. It was hard not knowing about Sora, and it probably would have never bothered her if Vanitas hadn't told her. Now, everytime she looked at Sora, she would wonder, 'What's wrong with you?'  
It wasn't easy, but she couldn't let Vanitas get to her. For all she knew, he could be lying through his teeth. But something told her he was being honest.

Restless hours turned into days, and soon it was Friday afternoon. She was at Sora's house going over some ways to make sentences more interesting, but she could hardly concentrate.  
"Kairi?"  
"Huh?"  
"Why are you looking at me like that?"  
"Like what?"  
"Like I'm some alien specimen or something."  
"I... I am?"  
"Yup."  
Kairi blushed. "Oh sorry. Guess I'm kind of distracted."  
"Does my face distract you?" He grinned.  
"W-What? N-No, why the h-hell.."  
Sora laughed. "I'm JOKING. It's alright, I'm guessing you're just waiting to get home, watching the clock, so you don't have to spend an extra second with boring old me." He teased.  
"Oh come on Sora. You're not THAT boring." She smiled.  
"Hey!" Sora gasped in a fake tone.  
They laughed, then Kairi said, "Alright, I want you to try writing something."  
"Try being the key word there." Sora replied grimly.  
"I think you're better than you give yourself credit. Just do your best."  
He took a deep breath, picked up a pencil, and started writing. As Kairi watched him concentrate, she noticed that the more focused he was, the more his brow furrowed. It was actually kind of adorable, just like the rest of him.  
"Uh, how long do you want it to be?"  
"Doesn't matter."  
"Then I think I'm done."  
Kairi picked up the paper.  
"Please don't read it out loud, it's kind of cheesy."  
She began to read.

'Our minds have wandered, our paths have crossed. And yet, our happiness isn't as vibrant as it could be. We both know the one thing that's kept us apart for so long, but we still aren't as we should be.'

Kairi's heart raced. Was this about her? She kept reading.

'Even now, as we spend our days together, something is holding us back. It's fear.  
Fear keeps us from being completely happy, and completely together. If fear was not there, there'd be no doubt that we'd have each other right now, forevermore.'

For one of the first times in her life, Kairi was speechless.  
"I...I..."  
"It's stupid, isn't it?" Sora muttered.  
"N-No, it w-wasn't. That was a...amazing."  
His eyes widened. "Really?"  
"Yeah."  
"I finally get it! I get it Kairi, I get it!" Sora jumped up and down on his bed.  
Kairi laughed. Then, to her surprise, Sora stopped jumping, got off the bed, stood facing Kairi, then pulled her in for a hug.  
"Thank you Kairi." He whispered.  
For the second time that day, she was speechless. Then she slowly wrapped her arms around him.  
"It was no problem. I'm glad I was able to help." She murmured.  
As soon as they separated, Sora said,  
"This calls for a celebration!"  
"Oh yeah, what kind of celebration?"  
Sora grinned. "Ice cream."

"Y'know, I just don't get it."  
They were walking around the park, eating ice cream.  
"What don't you get?" Kairi asked.  
"People. It's like, why do you judge others so much that they can't be themselves? And when they try to be unique, and we shut them down, they're mad about it. Talk about hypocritical." Sora replied, taking a tentative bite of his ice cream.  
"Where did that come from?"  
"I dunno. These days, we're all stuck in this box of how everyone should live their lives, and it's going to make for a scary future."  
Kairi nibbled on her ice cream. "I guess I never really thought about it." She mused.  
"I just want the world to be able to accept people's differences, y'know?" Sora stood up to throw his ice cream stick away.  
"Just look at those three." he said, pointing to a group of girls. They all had matching outfits on, and their hair was each put up in the same side ponytail.  
"There's just no individuality left in the world." He sighed.  
Kairi stood up, tossed her ice cream stick away, then joined Sora back on the bench.  
"I can tell you've been thinking about this for a while." She commented.  
"You can?"  
"Does this have anything to do with what you wrote today?" There. She said it.  
Sora looked startled. "Well, I..."  
His phone rang. He answered, talked for a few minutes, then hung up, looking relieved.  
"It's Riku. Apparently Seifer got into some kind of trouble, and we need to help him out of it, as usual."  
Kairi frowned. He was about to tell her something that could've lead to the discussion she wanted to have. But it was too late, he was already gone.  
As soon as he was out of earshot, Kairi let out a frustrated scream. Boys were such complicated creatures.

Saturday came and went, with no major events (except her brother getting his head stuck in an empty fishbowl). She sent Ventus another email, hoping she would be able to reach him. His phone was still off, which really worried Kairi, and he wasn't answering his emails or responding to his IMs.  
'Ven, what the hell happened to you?'  
She was half tempted to call his mothers phone, but she knew he'd get embarrassed if she did that, so she refrained. She was looking forward to shopping with Xion and Namine, so she could talk to them about Vanitas and Sora.

Sunday arrived shortly, and she met up with them at the mall. Kairi told them about her concerns while they were eating lunch in the food court, after the  
"Do you seriously believe what that asshole told you?" Xion asked.  
"That's just it. I have absolutely no idea what to believe anymore." She replied.  
"You shouldn't take his words seriously. I mean, it is Vanitas we're talking about. You should trust in Sora before him." Namine added.  
"I know, but it's just been bugging me so much..." Kairi sighed.  
"That's exactly what he wants, so don't let it."  
"Namine's right. Just get through these two weeks, then have an awesome time with Sora at the dance. Not to mention you'll miss your opportunity to wear that gorgeous dress if you skip it." Xion smiled.  
Kairi peered into the large white box to look over her purchase. Inside was a soft pink strapless dress she impulsively bought after trying it on. It fit perfectly, and her friends refused to let her put it back on the rack. She smiled, knowing that even if the dance was terrible, she would at least look good at it.  
"Honestly, when Sora sees you in that, I think he'll drop dead." Xion grinned.  
"If that's the kind of effect it has on him, I think I'll return it." Kairi frowned.  
"You'd better not," Namine warned.  
"Yours is the prettiest out of the three of ours. You'll make the rest of us look like wallflowers."  
"Oh hush. Your dress looks beautiful on you. Roxas will love it, trust me." Xion assured her.  
Namine had chosen a sky blue dress with spaghetti straps, and it was really long so it flowed behind her. Kairi thought she looked like a princess when she saw her wearing it. Xion's dress was short and striking, a deep shade of violet and had only one strap. She also looked stunning in her dress.  
"I think we all made pretty good choices." Kairi mused.  
Now all she needed was to not make a total fool of herself in front of the entire school.  
'Two more weeks. You can do this.'


End file.
